Secrets of million-dollar sellers
Top sellers at niche media companies shared their top tactics during April’s Niche Media Conference. Here’s what they said they do to maintain high sales levels, even at local publications.
1 Spend more time on Pre- and Post-meeting preparation
“What I found has contributed greatly to the success of meetings and interactions with clients, whether it’s over the phone or in person over Zoom is the time that I invest before and after those meetings,” said Barb Montagano, Director of Sales at NEI-Turner Media Group, which publishes Chicago Style Weddings.
Immediately after a meeting, whether by phone or in person, she posts what they told her into the CRM, focusing on using their own language and buzzwords.
“Sometimes I don’t even know what they mean. But if I’m at a country club, they talk in a certain language,” she said, which is essential to note and use later.
Rather than asking for a budget, she also asks for their top two or three revenue drivers.
Then in her preparation for the following conversation – or any future meeting in the industry, in this case private clubs, she can not only reference the revenue drivers but do so “in their language.”
“I can go to a new client in that category and say, Let me tell you how I’m helping so and so, and use the same language.”
The key is meticulous, systematic note-taking, and referencing before the next call.
2. Add multiple non-salesy human touches
Montagano also said she goes to ribbon cuttings and openings not to make a sale but to introduce herself to decision-makers “so they know you came to support them.”
Presenting himself authentically was the key theme for Paul Hoefer, VP of Business Development for Spotlight Media, publisher of Fargo Magazine.
Hoefer said his successful relationships with clients result from “just being myself.”
Sometimes he brings a jar of candy to the front office of a local prospect and refills it every week without ever turning the visit into a sales call. Eventually, the prospect gets familiarized with him, and conversations start themselves.
Another time he pranked his daughters by having all the parents appear at their volley game in silly costumes. He included the picture in a humorous email,”if I will work this hard to embarrass my kids, I’ll work that hard on your marketing campaign.”
He’ll even ask regular clients to sign deals before he goes on vacation so he can relax and spend time with his kids. They do.
He said no one wants to talk to another salesperson, and it goes a long way if they like hanging out with you.
Another publisher at the meeting noted that his wife, the only seller in a city of 200 people, was such good friends with the advertisers that they had donated the funds for her to attend the conference.
- Turn on a LinkedIn strategy
Zach O’Brien, social media guru and publisher of Active NorCal said that one top strategy is to have sales reps use LinkedIn.
“Have a content strategy that positions them as subject matter experts,” he advised.
He provides templates on Canva that salespeople can use to post so they don’t have to create their own.
Nancy O’Brien, AIN Magazine, also advises her editors to post daily. “It’s been interesting to watch what they are starting to reveal about themselves. They might have just interviewed the president of the association.”
“Be in front of them all the time, whether in person or socially,” O’Brien said.
- Stay organized at detail level to ensure on-time follow-ups
Top sellers make a high volume of contacts, so an organizational system is a requirement.
In addition to keeping detailed notes in the CRM, Montagano keeps a spreadsheet with tabs for every planned follow-up, from “letter sent,” to the next contact, proposal, and so on, so that “nothing gets behind.”
O’Brien from AIN said that at the end of each day, she lists ten things to do the next morning and comes in an hour early before the prime sales period begins. Business reports and emails can be completed right away.
Another seller said they block set times for answering emails so the day is not constantly interrupted.
- Be prepared for “Sorry, but this year we’ll be trying something different” conversations
All the research points to a new group of advertising decision-makers spending more. These decision makers are younger, digital natives who want to try new and innovative things.
So it is no surprise that some are dropping print for other options. Hoefer said his strategy is to be ready to suggest other products. An “Ask an Expert” content marketing program is especially popular, but he can also sell video reels, social media, and exclusive email sends.
“If they want to cancel print, fine. We have a great digital option. If they want social, great, we have a social option.”
Since Spotlight Media already has a robust product line, the sales reps are trained and ready to adapt if an advertiser wants to try something new.
- Send company newsletters from the sales reps
Nancy O’Brien contributed by putting the picture and the names of the sales reps on the newsletters sent to their client and prospect list.
These are not sales pitches for a special section or product but rather useful information that also positions the sales rep as a subject matter expert.
The extra marketing support also helps recruit better candidates who know they will be supported in their careers.
- Lean into sharing metrics, even when the results are not good
During the session, one of the most robust discussions on top-selling strategies was embracing even negative information when meeting with clients. Some reps said they once avoided discussing metrics for campaigns that were not working well, but as they became top sellers began to use this information to work with clients to improve their campaigns.
Nancy O’Brien also said she holds quarterly meetings with clients where she buys and brings lunch to review all the metrics. If the results are less than those of other clients, they discuss what they could change and improve.
In one case, they added a video behind an email that was not performing well, and the engagement immediately spiked. “People can’t help clicking on the arrow in the circle to see what is there,” she said.
“We are constantly showing clients what is working for other advertisers and encouraging them to try new things.”
“We have to educate people. You can’t hide from bad stats, you have to use them to your advantage.”
- Learn to sell the advantages of print
An increasing amount of data shows that while print is declining in demand, it is not declining in effectiveness.
Some magazines use Baxter Research, an audience survey that shows recall of specific print ads during the survey period. If advertisers choose to go digital only, the seller uses the data to show them how much of the audience they will lose.
Montagano, whose Chicago Weddings magazine is primarily distributed for sale in retail news racks, uses the sell-through rate as proof that magazines and the images there remain an essential part of the wedding shopping experience.
Professional Photographers Magazine even hired a firm to conduct an independent study of print effectiveness. It turns out that even people who supply photographers with equipment are skeptical about showcasing the quality expensive gear can provide in a glossy magazine.
Finally, someone suggested the acid test: “If you think no one reads print, would you care if we wrote a negative article?”
